Hometown hero, Blues Pat Maroon praises St. Louis and teammates

ST. LOUIS COUNTY, MO - It’s been about 24 hours, and St. Louis is still buzzing about the Blues game 7 victory with this goal in the Stanley Cup playoffs Tuesday night, and about the home town hero, who scored that winning goal.

The "Shark Tank" is the home of the Meramec Sharks youth hockey teams in South County. Pat Maroon helps coach here when his Blues schedule allows. For those who know him and have watched him grow up in St. Louis, that means even more than last night's goal.

Pat Maroon was on the St. Louis radar long before his historic game 7 game winner.

The Oakville high grad was identified as a professional prospect in high school. He drew headlines as a national champion in junior hockey.

None of that is what gave his old high school coach goose-bumps watching the celebration last night.

Pictures like these do. Pat Maroon helping coach his 10-year-old son’s Meramec Sharks “Squirt Double-A” team when his paying job with the Blues allows for it. He’s chosen to play in his home-town after establishing himself in the NHL with a Blues rival, the Edmonton Oilers.

This matters as much as this. Which is why his mom, who still lives in Oakville posted a photo of Pat with his son after the game on Facebook saying, “What I’m most proud of is this: My son is a star player, but he’s an even better dad, hugs and kisses.”

“You know, I’m proud. I’m proud to be from St. Louis. I’m proud to put that jersey on every night, ” said Maroon.

“My heart was warmed because he was speaking about others not just about himself. He knows we love him, we’re proud of him for being the person that he is,” said Mick O’Halloran, Oakville High School Hockey Coach.

The kind of person who, instead of possibly signing a contract for more years and more money elsewhere, signs with the Blues so he can in front of his family, his home-town, and help coach his son.